Solo show at Kolly Gallery, Geneve, Switzerland – April 2022
“Faux Pas is an exhibition dedicated to the traditional craftsmanship of tiles in Portugal, originally called Azulejos. Therefore, the artist decided to dare something completely new and break through his artistic comfort zone. The unique artworks created in this exhibition respect the tradition and legacy of tile-making, but pushing with a contemporary, uncompromising and somehow innocent approach to the material and the technique.
Essentially Faux Pas, as the title of the exhibition suggests, was created through the desire to leave the comfort zone in search for a new technique that would encourage experimentation through trial and error. Therefore, the process of that artistic learning experience is the main focus of the creations. The physical outcomes – the artworks – are the evidence related to the artist’s journey, where error was not only welcome but also provoked and accepted in peace.
On first sight the tile artworks appear independent in their aesthetics, but looking closer they reveal a certain association to AKACORLEONE’s holistic oeuvre regarding composition, style, visual language and choice of colour.
The works in the Faux Pas exhibition are complemented by comics as well as vintage advertising elements and shift from tile to tile between figuration, superposition and abstraction. In contrast to his usual working practice, he consciously chooses a manual, artisanal and somehow intuitive approach
AKACORLEONE is known for his dexterity and versatility in the usage of colours and materials. Through the artworks with tiles he expands his oeuvre with another medium, connecting and combining traditional crafts and contemporary art, developing eye-catching compositions.”
Text by TANIA DI BRITA (exhibition curator)
